A follow-up surgical procedure to address failed back surgery syndrome can provide welcome relief from neck and back pain symptoms, but it can also mean a short break from your favorite activities — including golf. However, with certain precautions and your doctor’s approval, you can gradually make your way back to the green.

Tips for returning to golf after surgery

Follow these five tips to learn how you can return to your golf game after undergoing failed back surgery syndrome surgery:

1. Give yourself adequate time to recover. Although the recovery process is different for everybody, it’s still crucial to allow several months for healing. Your surgeon can give you a personalized timeline that it is critical to follow.
2. Discuss your plans with your surgeon and recovery team. This serves a dual purpose: first, he or she can make sure your body is ready to return to physical activity, and second, he or she can provide you with recommendations for doing so safely.
3. Start small. Consider easing back into the sport with an hour at the driving range rather than a full 18 holes. It can be difficult to predict how your body will respond to an activity until you actually begin, which is why it can be helpful to have an easy out in case things don’t go as planned.
4. Listen to your body. A minor ache or pain could just be the result of being out of practice, or it could be your body telling you that something isn’t quite right. It’s always safest to err on the side of caution and step back if you experience any noticeable discomfort.
5. Focus on your technique. Repetitive twisting motions of any kind can be tough on your body, but even more so if your form is off. If you’re hoping to make golf a regular part of your routine after your failed back surgery syndrome surgery, you should consider taking a few lessons to make sure you’re properly distributing your weight, maintaining ideal posture and engaging the appropriate muscles throughout every step of your swing.

Regaining your life from back pain

At USA Spine Care, we understand how frustrating it can be to be sidelined from your favorite activities. Since 2005 we have helped more than 75,000 patients find relief with our minimally invasive spine surgery that can treat spine conditions, including failed back surgery syndrome, on an outpatient basis. If you’ve undergone back surgery but have not obtained the benefits you were hoping for, contact USA Spine Care. Patients who have undergone surgery at USA Spine Care can call our SPINE LINE at any time with questions or concerns about the recovery process.

We can provide you with a no-cost review* of your MRI or CT scan to see if you are a candidate for one of our procedures.

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